Ezekiel 24:19

Easy-to-Read Version

Then the people said to me, "Why are you doing this? What does it mean?"

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things you are doing mean for us?”

Hebrew Names Version
The people said to me, Won't you tell us what these things are to us, that you do so?

King James Version
And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so?

English Standard Version
And the people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting thus?"

New American Standard Bible
And the people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are doing?"

New Century Version
Then the people asked me, "Tell us, what do the things you are doing mean for us?"

Amplified Bible
The people said to me, "These things that you are doing—tell us, what do they mean for us?"

World English Bible
The people said to me, Won't you tell us what these things are to us, that you do so?

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the people said vnto me, Wilt thou not tell vs what these things meane towarde vs that thou doest so?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
The people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things that you are doing mean for us?"

Legacy Standard Bible
The people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things that you are doing mean for us?"

Berean Standard Bible
Then the people asked me, "Won't you tell us what these things you are doing mean to us?"

Contemporary English Version
and when people saw me, they asked, "Why aren't you mourning for your wife?"

Complete Jewish Bible
The people asked me, "Won't you tell us what these actions of yours mean for us?"

Darby Translation
And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, which thou doest?

George Lamsa Translation
And the people said to me, Will you not tell us the meaning of these strange things which you do?

Good News Translation
The people asked me, "Why are you acting like this?"

Lexham English Bible
And the people said to me, "Will you not make known to us what these things that you are doing mean for us?"

Literal Translation
And the people said to me, Will you not tell us what the things you are doing are to us?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And ye people sayde vnto me: wilt thou not tell vs, what that signifieth, which thou doest?

American Standard Version
And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so?

Bible in Basic English
And the people said to me, Will you not make clear to us the sense of these things; is it for us you do them?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the people said unto me: 'Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so?'

King James Version (1611)
And the people said vnto me; Wilt thou not tell vs what these things are to vs, that thou doest so?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the people sayd vnto me: Wilt thou not tell vs what this signifieth towarde vs, that thou doest so?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the people said to me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are that thou doest?

English Revised Version
And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the puple seide to me, Whi schewist thou not to vs what these thingis signefien, whiche thou doist?

Update Bible Version
And the people said to me, Will you not tell us what these things are to us, that you do so?

Webster's Bible Translation
And the people said to me, Wilt thou not tell us what these [things are] to us, that thou doest [so]?

New English Translation
Then the people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things you are doing mean for us?"

New King James Version
And the people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things signify to us, that you behave so?"

New Living Translation
Then the people asked, "What does all this mean? What are you trying to tell us?"

New Life Bible
And the people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things you are doing mean for us?"

New Revised Standard
Then the people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting this way?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said the people unto me: Wt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou shouldst be acting thus?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the people said to me: Why dost thou not tell us what these things mean that thou doest?

Revised Standard Version
And the people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting thus?"

Young's Literal Translation
And the people say unto me, `Dost thou not declare to us what these [are] to us, that thou art doing?'

THE MESSAGE
The people came to me, saying, "Tell us why you're acting like this. What does it mean, anyway?"

Contextual Overview

¹⁵ Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, ¹⁶ "Son of man, you love your wife very much, but I am going to take her away from you. Your wife will die suddenly, but you must not show your sadness. You must not cry loudly. You will cry and your tears will fall, ¹⁷ but you must mourn quietly. Dress as you normally do; wear your turban and sandals; don't cover your mustache, and don't eat the food people normally eat when someone dies." ¹⁸ The next morning I told the people what God had said. That evening, my wife died. The next morning I did what God commanded. ¹⁹ Then the people said to me, "Why are you doing this? What does it mean?" ²⁰ Then I said to them, "The word of the Lord came to me. He told me ²¹ to speak to the family of Israel. The Lord God said, ‘Look, I will destroy my holy place. You are proud of that place and sing songs of praise about it. You love to see it. You really love that place. But I will destroy it, and your children that you left behind will be killed in battle. ²² But you will do the same things that I have done about my dead wife. You will not cover your mustache or eat the food people normally eat when someone dies. ²³ You will wear your turbans and your sandals. You will not show your sadness publicly or cry publicly, but you will waste away with guilt and talk to each other quietly about your grief. ²⁴ So Ezekiel is an example for you. You will do all the same things he did. That time of punishment will come, and then you will know that I am the Lord God .'"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Ezekiel 12:9, Ezekiel 17:12, Ezekiel 20:49, Ezekiel 21:7, Ezekiel 37:18, Malachi 3:7, Malachi 3:8, Malachi 3:13

Reciprocal: Jeremiah 13:12 - and they shall John 13:12 - Know Acts 21:11 - he took

Cross-References

Genesis 24:14
I will say to one of them, ‘Please put your jar down so that I can drink.' Let her answer show whether she is the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. If she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give water to your camels,' I will know that she is the right one. It will be proof that you have shown kindness to my master."

Genesis 24:45
"Before I finished praying, Rebekah came out to the well to get water. She had her water jar on her shoulder as she went to get water from the well. I asked her to give me some water.

Genesis 24:46
She quickly lowered the jar from her shoulder and poured me some water. Then she said, ‘Drink this, and I'll get some water for your camels.' So I drank the water, and she gave water to my camels.

1 Peter 4:9
Open your homes to each other and share your food without complaining.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the people said unto me,.... Either seriously, as being desirous of knowing what was meant by all this; since they had reason to believe that it was not out of want of affection in Ezekiel to his wife that he so behaved; and therefore there must be some hidden meaning in it, which they should be glad to be informed of: or in a ludicrous manner, deriding the prophet for his conduct, and despising what he meant to instruct them in hereby:

wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so? for they suspected it vas not on his own account, but to signify something to them, that these things were done; and laughing at him, they say, to what purpose are these things done? if you do not tell us for what reason they are done, instruct us by words, and not by actions; these were his fellow captives in Babylon.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The death of Ezekiel’s wife took place in the evening of the same day that he delivered the foregoing prophecy. This event was to signify to the people that the Lord would take from them all that was most dear to them; and - owing to the extraordinary nature of the times - quiet lamentation for the dead, according to the usual forms of mourning, would be impossible.

Ezekiel 24:17

The priest in general was to mourn for his dead (Leviticus 21:1 ff); but Ezekiel was to be an exception to the rule. The “tire” was the priest’s mitre.

Eat not the bread of men - Food supplied for the comfort of the mourners.

Ezekiel 24:23

Pine away - Compare Leviticus 26:39. The outward signs of grief were a certain consolation. Their absence would indicate a heart-consuming sorrow.

Ezekiel 24:27

Ezekiel had been employed four years in foretelling the calamities about to come to pass. He had been utterly disregarded by the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and received with apparent respect but with real incredulity by those in exile. Now until the city had been actually taken, the voice of prophecy should cease, so far as God’s people were concerned. Hence the intervening series of predictions relating to neighboring and foreign nations Ezek. 25–32. After which the prophet’s voice was again heard addressing his countrymen in their exile. This accounts for the apparently parenthetical character of the next eight chapters.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 24:19. Wilt thou not tell us — In the following verses he explains and applies the whole of what he had done and said.